You must have a very, very high purpose in life, the kind of purpose that can never actually be fully attained. If it can never be fully attained, you will be working towards it all your life without ever having a final satisfaction that you have arrived. That dissatisfaction is extremely important.
What is that final purpose I am referring to? It is called realization or liberation. It is called annihilation of the ego.
The annihilation of the ego just cannot happen directly; it has to happen through your lifework. You have to choose your work in a way that it keeps diminishing your ego. And because the ego can never be fully, absolutely diminished, reduced to zero, therefore you have to keep the fire burning throughout your life. That’s the method.
Choose such a mammoth goal that you always have to be on your toes, that you never fall complacent, that you can never give yourself the liberty to say, “Now I am done and I can retire.”